


What he Saw in us

by Amaryka



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam and Shiro are dating, Adam is protective and a bit of a stick in the mud, Canon Compliant, M/M, Multi, Orphan Keith but that isn't new, Orphan Shiro, Pre-Kerberos Mission, S7 E1 spoilers, Some awful things are said when stakes run this high, Swearing, but he genuinely cares, he growl, it is implied that Keith has a crush on Shiro, keith's pov, vague Galra behaviors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 13:57:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15438549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amaryka/pseuds/Amaryka
Summary: "There they are!"  Shiro exclaimed with a grin.  "My two favorite boys!"Adam's face lit up instantly, while Keith's eyes flickered to the device on his wrist.  His heart suddenly felt relentlessly heavy.Or: My hot take on the dynamic between Keith, Adam, and Shiro prior to the Kerberos mission.





	What he Saw in us

**Author's Note:**

> My goal here isn't to vilify Adam, but this is told from Keith's perspective so he is going to come off a little sour. My headcanon is that they may not have gotten along the best. Adam strikes me as by-the-book, and of course worried about Shiro. Keith is impulsive at this point and brings out a more reckless side of Shiro as well. Long story short, their personalities clash.

 

**~13~**

"What are you _thinking_ , Takashi?"

Adam's voice was muffled from the other room, but Keith knew the tone too well.  He twitched.  Should have known there was a catch.

"Adam, Keith's got natural talent," Shiro's voice followed.  "But he doesn't have anybody believing in him. You know, his teacher said I shouldn't even bother letting him try?  Right within earshot too, Imagine what that does to a kid."

"Having a hard childhood isn't an excuse, Takashi.  He stole your car!"

Keith scoffed, standing from the line of chairs outside of the small meeting room and looking over the side of the railing to the simulator below.  Shiro had let him come in and retake the evaluation he had intentionally crashed before all of this. 

For a second in that simulator, everything had been perfect.  No, maybe that wasn't quite right so much as none of the bad things had mattered.  Like if he could stay in that seat with his fingers curled around the controls forever he would be satisfied.  As if the entire universe was unfolding in front of him and he was _made_ to navigate its twists and turns.  Like if this was just a simulation, he couldn't wait to get into the sky.

Then another Junior Officer had caught them.

"Yeah, isn't that amazing?"  A pause, "oh, don't give me that look Adam.  I'm not saying he _should_ have I'm saying he _CAN_.  He's a kid and he knows how to hotwire a vehicle. The score on the simulation he finished was higher than any of mine were for months.  At least some part of you has to recognize that-"

"You snuck him onto Garrison property _after hours_ to retake that test!  What were you thinking? Whoever this delinquent is, he's not worth risking your rep over!"

Keith's fingers tightened on the railing and he hung his head, breathing deeply to keep from growling.  A bad habit, but he was alone so at least nobody could make fun of him for it right now.

"Adam..."  After that, the voices became more muffled.  Keith figured he shouldn't care what they thought of him anyways.  He should go...But he still found himself pressing his ear to the door of the office.

"-just began.  Let's not start things out like this."

"Alright...Alright fine but just know I don't like this.  And I don't like _him_."

"I get it, but just...let me do this.  I just- I just feel like I need to, Adam.  I can't quite explain it."

Keith twitched again, but pressed himself closer to the door to hear Shiro's lowered voice.

"Alright, Alright.  Like I could say no to that face..."  There was a muffled shifting sound and Keith's brows creased.  What was that sound? "I won't tell any commanders about your little test extension, but just be careful Tak-"

The door slid open with a whoosh and Keith stumbled forward right into the angry guy's stomach.

"-ashi..."  A frown pulled on his lips and he cocked an eyebrow at Keith.

"Keith, You were listening..."  The nice one looked at him with wide eyes, and then his gaze swept away for a moment.  His cheeks were turning a bit pink.

Keith jolted backward and away from Adam before the man spoke.  "A thief and an eavesdropper," he huffed, looking over his shoulder at the other officer.  "You have impeccable judgement, Takashi."

Keith knew sarcasm when he heard it.  His little hands balled into shaking fists and his jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything.

"Keith?"

He turned and booked it, scurrying as quickly as he could to exit the same way he had come with Shiro.  For a moment he thought about how the hell he would get back to civilization after finding his way out of the Garrison, but then shook his head.  He'd figure it out, all the Garrison cars had the same hardware he could get out of here if he needed to.

"Keith!"

Keith lurched and stumbled back when Shiro caught up to him, hand grasping his shoulder firmly.  "Hey, the-"

"Get off!"  Keith kicked at the man's shins but his reflexes were too quick for the hits to land.  Before he could do any damage he was turned to face grey eyes.  

Shiro was smiling.  Why was he smiling?  Was it a good smile or a bad smile?

"Hey, it's okay," Shiro said softly.  "But the exit is this way," he gestured over his shoulder, ruffling Keith's hair before pulling away and walking down the corridor.  "I'll take you home."

Keith was stunned into silence, and not for the first time today.  He stared at the man's back with wide eyes as his steps echoed down the hallway.  Shiro had let go of him, and Keith could sneak away if he wanted to...

He followed instead.

 

**~14~**

"You'll receive your roommate assignments at the booth in the north square.  You have until twelve hundred hours to get everything settled and make it to orientation with your roommate.  Don't be late, understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

Adam's eyes caught Keith's for a moment among the lines of other orange clad cadets.  "I'll see you all there. Dismissed."

The other new recruits began peeling away from the formation, but Keith stayed put, determined to not be the first to break eye contact.  Adam stepped closer, straight and formal as he always presented himself in front of Garrison personel.

"Keith."  He greeted.

"Adam."

"You should call me Sir here," He pointed out dryly, but then smiled gently.  "But congratulations, Kid. Welcome to the Galaxy Garrison."

Keith blinked first, and blamed shock.  "Thank you, Adam."

That retort made Adam huff, the corners of his lips twitching downward.  "Your attitude doesn't belong here, Cadet."  He cocked an eyebrow at being addressed so informally in public.  "But at least you're getting better. Go on, meet your roommate and try not to get in any fights, alright?"

"Sir," Keith replied hurriedly before Adam pushed passed him and walked away.  Once he was alone, he huffed and deflated.

"Keith!"

Shiro grinned, appearing suddenly to put a hand on Keith's shoulder.  "You made it! Lets get you set up."

"Of course I did, you drove me, remember?"  Keith hurried along next to Shiro as they walked toward the assignment booth.

"Did I?  I could have sworn you hijacked a train to get here."

"Don't put it past me."

"I wouldn't," Shiro teased, flashing him a grin.  "But I mean you made it _here_. You're enrolled, got a uniform and everything."

Keith smiled.  "Yeah...Yeah I do.  When do I get to fly?"

Shiro chuckled.  "You've got to work your way up to that one, they won't let a rookie into something that flies until you've made it past theory _and_ simulation."

Keith managed to keep from pouting, but his smile certainly fell.  "Oh."

"But like a friend of mine tends to say, _what the Garrison doesn't know won't hurt em'_."  He emphasized that with a wink.

Keith's smile returned. "You promised you'd teach me how to ride your hoverbike."

Shiro brought a finger to his lips, glancing around the open area.  "Not so loud...But we'll see about it after orientation.  Where are your things?"

"This is it," Keith shrugged his shoulder to emphasize his single backpack.

Shiro's eyes softened for a moment.  "Alright. Come on, we'll get you taken care of."

 

**~15~**

"Takashi, You know I love you right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, so you know I say this with only your well being in mind...I don't understand what you see in that kid."

Keith huffed from his place on Shiro's duvet, laid flat on his back with a shirt balled up beneath his head and an ice pack pressing to his face.  It struck him for a moment how twistedly familiar this scenario was as he listened to Shiro and Adam speak in the other room.

"Do you have to make your disapproval so loud?" Shiro replied, and Keith couldn't help his little snort of amusement.  Even though Adam talked about Keith's 'attitude' the way he did, his own _boyfriend_ had a bit of a mouth too, didn't he?

"Takashi, please realize you have a cadet with a black eye and split lip in your bedroom right now."

"You should have seen the _other_ guy."

Keith snickered again.

Shiro was also snickering, until he wasn't.  "What? Ah, stop it with that face Adam. I know he shouldn't have but you've gotta admit it's a little funny."

"There is nothing funny about him getting in, what, his third fight on Garrison property?"

"Yeah, that's...less funny, and I'll talk to him-"

"You _know_ you're damaging your own reputation when you go to bat for him and he pulls this kind of shit."

"He's getting better, Adam."  Shiro's sigh was loud through the door.  "Besides, if I don't look out for him who will?  Keith doesn't have anybody at the orphanage that will advocate for him."

"Probably for good reason."

"Adam, he's only here until the roommate situation gets taken care of, then he'll be back in the Garrison dorms."

Keith's frowned as their talking became more hushed.  He knew Adam wasn't his biggest fan, there was no question there, but it somehow didn't come into full perspective until now.  He felt the space between his ribs constrict.

"-He doesn't have anywhere else to go, Adam.  I was alone too once Imagine if everybody had been against me too?"

"Shiro, you can only defend him for so long."

"I'm not defending him, there will still be consequences to this fight.  I'm just giving the poor kid a chance. He _needs_ me, Adam."

"Are you sure it's not the other way around?"

"What?"

"Think about it Shiro.  Does he need you, or do you need him to need you?"

Keith's free fingers curled into his hair.  He did. He does. He does need Shiro.

"I-"

"I think you should consider this, Takashi.  Are you living vicariously through this kid? Is that healthy for either of you?  Just...just think about it, okay?" His tone softened. "I love you Takashi, I'm just concerned.  Think about it please. It's late, I'm heading home."

"...Okay,"

This time Keith recognized the sound of a kiss before Adam's steps faded down the hallway.

 

**~16~**

"Congratulations, by the way."

"Hmm?"

Adam glanced at Keith from his desk.

"Shiro told me you two moved in together awhile ago.  Congratulations."

Adam smiled for just a moment, but then cleared his throat.  "Thank you, but shouldn't you be studying?"

Keith looked down at his textbook.  "I...Need a little help with this concept, actually."

Adam looked a little hesitant, but he gestured for Keith to bring the book over.  He stood and crossed the empty classroom.

Adam began skimming paragraphs and writing equations.  "It's like this." He illustrated quickly.

Keith was quiet.  "Right...Thanks."

He still didn't get it, but he always felt like Adam thought he was stupid if he asked a question more than once.  He would ask Shiro later.

"By the way," Adam muttered as he scribbled some more numbers for an extended explanation.  "You really shouldn't be riding alone with him."

"What?"

"Shiro.  I know he'll be leaving to Kerberos early next year but you two shouldn't be engaging in such risky behaviors together."

Keith gaped.  "Risky behaviors?"

"Cliff jumping?" Adam gave him a skeptical look.  "He came home with a bloody mouth and several abrasions last night.  Don't ask him to do those kinds of things, his life is short enough as it is."

Keith tensed.  "I-I know...He told me."

"I know he did.  He and I talk about things, you know."  Adam looked a little hesitant at that, eyes distant like he was recalling a memory.  A memory that was still causing trouble by the looks of it.  Keith got the sense there was some unresolved tension in their relationship right now.

He cleared his throat.  "I didn't ask him to, he wanted to show me how.  He though I was ready-"

"Just...Don't." Adam was usually able to act quite professional in the Garrison with Keith, but in that moment Keith couldn't help but flinch at how unrestrained his glare was.

It made him angry.

He breathed quickly to calm himself, willing his hands not to curl into fists.

"I will let Shiro live his life the way he wants to.  You should do the same."

Adam frowned and his eyes narrowed "That isn't for you to decide-"

"It isn't for you to decide either.  It's his life not yours, _and isn't his life short enough as it is?_ " Keith deadpanned.

It was quiet for a long moment before Adam grimaced.  "Listen, I have known Shiro for a long time. You cannot fathom how much he means to me.  I won't allow you to-"

"If you cared about him you'd let him spend time on things that are important to him!"

"Of course you'd say that, one of those things is you," Adam said surprisingly cooly despite the annoyed twitch of his eye.

"No.  Because I'm not a THING."

"You know that isn't what I meant, _cadet_.  Don't make this unnecessarily upsetting."

Keith growled and for a moment, Adam's eyes widened in surprise.  Keith remembered that sound wasn't typical, and cleared his throat, looking away.

Patience Keith.  Patience yields focus.

"I'm...sorry.  I didn't mean to...I was just a bit upset."

Adam opened his mouth to say something but then the door opened.

"There they are!"  Shiro exclaimed with a grin, clearly fresh from the gym.  "My two favorite boys!"

Adam's face lit up instantly, while Keith's eyes flickered to the device on his wrist.  His heart suddenly felt relentlessly heavy.

Shiro approached them and ruffled Keith's hair and only hesitated for a moment before kissing Adam's cheek.  "We ready to go?" He asked, leaning over the desk to look at the textbook.

"Soon, I was just helping Keith understand triangulation under variable atmospheric conditions."

Shiro nodded.  "I'll help too...but can we do it over dinner?  I'm starving." He slumped into a desk chair and grinned tiredly.

Adam's smile twitched for a moment and his eyes flicked to Keith, then back to Shiro before sighing.  "How can I say no to that face?"

 

**~17~**

"Can you believe they are _blaming him?!_ "  Keith grabbed clumps of his hair as he paced around Shiro's office.  "Pilot Error my ass, Shiro would _never_ -"

"What are you doing here, Keith?"  Adam had gone still when Keith entered Shiro's old office, keeping his back to the cadet.

"What?...I...I just needed to..."

"To what?" Adam asked as he stuffed a photograph from Shiro's desk into a box.  His tone was as level as ever, the way that made Keith unsure of if he was walking on eggshells or mines.

"To...I don't know I just needed to...talk to somebody?  Somebody who gets it...You get it, don't you?"

Adam didn't look up. "I just want to gather Shiro's things and go home, Keith.  I don't have the time or energy for your little episode."

Keith was quiet for a long time.  For a moment anger flared in him, but then he managed to restrain himself and walked quietly to the desk.  He joined Adam in gathering everything into the box.  "I'm sorry." He said, "This is hard for you too I was...I was just thinking of myself."

"You're good at that."

Keith scowled.  "Hey! I'm just trying to...ugh.  Can you just stop it for once?  We are both in the same boat right now."

"No we aren't," Adam glared at Keith, pulling the box away from him.  "We were _never_ in the same boat. I _loved_ him."

"Yeah, well, you broke up with him."  Keith's eyes narrowed. "So now we are."

" _He_ made his choice."  Adam sped up his packing, jaw tight through his words.  "He was always making his choices, and none of them were me.  It was better that way and I did it for him."

"How can you say that-"

"I _never_ would have done it otherwise, Keith.  Like I've said before you cannot comprehend how much he means to me.  It is what was best for the both of us. Now you don't have any reason to be here."

Keith sputtered.  "Hey, you don't have to take it out on me just because you feel guilty!  We _both_ cared about him, okay?"

Adam closed the remainder of Shiro's possessions in the box and turned to Keith, his composure crumbling under the weight of grief.  "I'm not guilty. I just have no patience for you right now."

"What is your problem?!"  Keith slammed his fist on the empty desk, scowling.  "You always act like this! I know you never liked me but I just wanted to reach out a hand and-"

"Shut up!"  Adam's arms raised to his head, but he clenched his fists in an effort to regain his composure.  "Just...Shut up. I am so, so tired of hearing your voice."

"I won't!"  Keith barely kept himself from screaming.  "You're not the only one who loved Shiro! He was-"

"I know, I know!  You owed him everything, Keith!  And frankly, you didn't deserve it."

"You think I don't know that?!"  He was shaking now, trying to breathe.  

"Obviously not!"

"Look, you might as well stop hating me cause I got it covered okay? _I KNOW I didn't deserve Shiro_ , but he believed in me anyways.  Can't you look past whatever shit you're holding against me and see what he saw for long enough to-"

"No!  No, Keith, I won't.  He went on that stupid mission, and I'm sure he wouldn't have if you had _just...UGH!_ "  Adam threw his arms in the air and distant footsteps echoed down the hallway outside of Shiro's office.  "I hope they invent time travel so I can go back and keep him from taking pity on your miserable ass!"

"Take that back!"

"No."

Patience Keith.  Patience yields-

Keith saw nothing but darkness for just a moment, but when he saw clearly again, Adam was holding his nose, red blood dripping down his chin and eyes sharper than Keith's knife.

Iverson and another instructor were hurrying into the office and taking hold of Keith's arms.

The sound was blurred, but he caught ' _this is the last straw, cadet!_ ' and ' _You're both grieving but this is not the place for-_ '

None of that mattered anymore.  Keith could feel his heart constricting in his gut and his stomach clench like he might vomit.

He'd been alone in the world for years before Shiro, but somehow it had never been as dark as that moment.

He didn't think anymore.  He kicked and screamed and sobbed, half sure he may have damaged Iverson's eye, but he just didn't give a shit anymore.

He was alone.

 

He remained thoughtless and empty as he packed his bags, then all the way to the Juvenile Detention Center.  His skin tingled as he was told a social worker would be there in the morning, he was told. His eyes burned as he resented the idea of clinging to a social worker for the remaining few months he would be a minor.  His fingers twitched when he thought about going back to the orphanage.

He didn't expect Adam to show up before the end of the night.

The irony wasn't lost on him.  As he stepped into the evening air he could only think of Shiro leading him from this same building 4 years ago.  Adam was standing a few feet ahead of him, hands in his pockets and gaze cast toward the purple sky.

"I don't get it," Keith said, bag slung over his shoulder and eyes glued to the pavement.  "I broke your nose and you paid my bail."

" _Dislocated_ my nose.  Don't give yourself so much credit."

"Okay...I still don't understand why you did that for me though."

"I didn't do it for you," Adam said firmly, turning so that his eyes could narrow in on Keith.  "I did it for Takashi. He wouldn't want you to go back to that home."  He paused, expression seeming to soften for a moment before he looked away.  "It's up to you now, I've done my part."  He began walking toward the parking lot.

"Thank you," Keith called after him.  "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Adam sighed, before tossing something that jangled toward Keith, who caught it with a surprised noise.  "I think those are yours. He wanted you to have them at least."

Keith uncurled his fingers and stared at the keys.  "Shiro's Hoverbike. But how-"

"I'm sure you'll manage.  From what I understand, you have experience stealing Garrison issued vehicles."  Adam muttered, opening the door to his car after taking a moment to look up at the stars beginning to peek from behind the sunset.

"...Thank you, Adam..."

Adam glanced back at Keith and then allowed himself a humorless and sad smile.  

"Go jump off a cliff, Cadet."

And with that, he was gone.

Keith clutched the keys in his hand and wiped his eyes on his sleeve before making his way toward the station.  There was only one place he could go now, and Ironically enough, he needed to drive off a cliff to get there.

"Goodbye, Shiro."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if the hoverbike was Keith's dad's or not, but I'm sticking with this headcannon for the sake of poetic sentiments.  
> I love me some comments :)


End file.
